hello there, welcome to "newsline." it's tuesday, august 7th, i'm catherine kobayashi in toke wroe. syria's former prime minister says he's now a soldier for the revolution. hijab is the highest ranking civilian official to defect from the government of president bashar al assad. the conflict in syria has been going on for 17 months now. hijab reportedly fled to neighboring jordan with his family. syria's state-run television disputes the defection story. it says the assad administration

dismissed the prime minister. hijab relayed his comments through a spokesperson saying he defected from the killing and terrorist regime. he says he has joined the ranks of the freedom and dignity revolution. hijab is encouraging other syrian officials to leave the government. he comes from the country's sunni muslim majority. assad and his inner circle belong to the muslim minority. observers ahijab's departure could suggest widening cracks in the government as the conflict grinds on. british human rights activists say 20,000 people have been killed in the fighting across sere wra. and some of the latest violence happened in the capital, damascus. a bomb hit the building housing syria's state television. the blast injured at least three people. state-run tv broadcast images of the scene after the explosion. an employee gave an interview by phone saying the bomb ripped through the walls of the third floor where the offices and studios are located. government officials had said

they'd taken control of all opposition strong holds in the capital, but monday's blast indicates the situation in damascus remains unstable. tokyo electric power company executives have bowed to pressure and released some of the most important evidence from the early days of swra pjapan's nuclear disaster. they've unveiled videos that document the efforts to deal with the meltdowns and explos n explosions at the fukushima daiichi plant. tepco officials showed the recordings to the media on monday. select journalists will now be able to watch 150 hours of edited tape from march 11th to 16th, 2011. it tracks the back and forth conversations between workers at the nuclear plant and personnel at headquarters. tepco also released 90 minutes of edited video.

>> the videos show workers struggling to contain the accident after the plant lost all power sources. a series of hydrogen explosions in the early days of the disaster confused them. company executives were also puzzled about the government's intervention in the crisis. tepco officials banned reporters from making their own record, of the video. they haven't said if they will release video from after march 16th. earlier, "newsline's" gene otani spoke to a man covering this story. >> talk to us about the significance of this video. >> tepco's teleconference is the only remaining record of the communication between workers at the plant and employees at the company headquarters. the video begins at around 6:30

p.m. on march 11th. it goes on to record critical conversation that reflects how decisions were made and how the situation changed from time to time. >> now, the accident happened nearly a year and a half ago. why did tepco officials take so long to release this video? >> basically, gene, they didn't want to release them. they hadn't disclosed the videos, it wouldn't have existed. we found out about the recordings in march through the course of an investigation into the accident by a diet appointed panel. nhk and other media repeatedly made request for access to the videos, but tepco officials had refused until now. they say the videos are internal records and they cited concern about the privacy of their employees. they finally agreed to release recording from the five days from march 11th. they edit the image to prepare the visual from being identified. >> how are people reacting to

tepco's reluctance to release all of the video related to the accident? >> experts say all records should be under public control. even if access is limited. tatsuya yoshioka is the head of the ngo calling for abolition of nuclear plants. here's what he had to say. >> this is the kind of very important historical document record. i hope tepco, themselves, decide to open up more, more and more, as much as possible transparency, and the same time ask the japanese government to make a pressure to them to release all the information. >> tepco shareholders suing the company's executives filed a petition for the videos to be preserved as evidence. they fear the utility may erase the recordings. the proof into the cause of the accident is not finished. these videos will surely be needed for the investigation.

the government should take action to preserve all records related to the incident in a public way. >> following the accident in fukushima, many people in japan have come to rethink the country's dependence on nuclear power. the government proposed three options to decide energy dependency by 2030. from 0%, 15%, and 20%-25%. the japanese government held a public hearings across the country to solicit views on these three options to decide future energy policy. nhk world has this report. >> reporter: government officials held from people in 11 locations across the country, and they often heard the same thing. 70% of participants are backing the 0% option for japan's new energy policy. that means utilities would stop producing nuclear power by 2030.

>> translator: do you need the sort of energy that sacrifices the lives of people who work at the plant? >> translator: i hope that as much of our intelligence as possible can be used for the development of the best technology for generating renewable natural energy. >> reporter: the accident at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant was an eye opener for many people in japan. the meltdowns, explosions, and radiation leaks shook a long-held faith in atomic energy. tens of thousands of people still can't return to their homes near the facility, and crews are still trying to control the plant and prepare it for the multibillion dollar decommissioning process. these public hearings are wrapping up, but people in japan are still looking to talk about the future of nuclear energy. civic groups have been organizing open debates.

>> translator: personally, i want japan to use as little nuclear power as possible. >> translator: there should be various points of discussion, but we feel the government has been failing to provide appropriate information. distrust of its activities is growing. >> reporter: skepticism is growing, too. people wonder how the government will reflect public opinion and the new energy policy. one official admits it will be challenging. >> translator: it's difficult to see which kind of opinion is more important. opinions expressed at the hearings, or results of opinion polls. >> reporter: the organizer of this debate says citizens want the entire process to be open

and understandable. >> some people are criticizing this process as making just excuse. they have to explain to the people how they pick up this scenario and how they can address people's concerns. so i think in that sense, transparency is the key. >> reporter: the japanese government planned to decide on the energy policy by the end of this month. but with support growing for the 0% nuclear power option, it is considering postponing that deadline. mitsuko nishikawa, nhk world, tokyo. >> and a final note on this story. prime minister yoshihiko noda reacted to the results of the hearing and will instruct, should japan choose the 0%

option and go nuclear free by 2030. india's new ambassador to japan promised a full investigation into the riot at a factory of a japanese automaker. she hopes to assure japanese companies that it's safe to do business in the country. nhk interviews ambassador deepa gopalan wadhwa in monday. she said the riot at suzuki was tragic. 100 workers stormed an office of maruti suzuki's manesar employee. they killed one indian employee and injured around 100 others including two japanese. the factory has been closed since the violence. >> i think everybody's committed to the sternest action possible, and to do it soon and fast. there should be no fears whatsoever as far as this is concerned. >> the ambassador also said that india has high hopes for the contribution japan can make to

the building of her country's infrastructure. she thinks it requires considerable improvement. a south korean activist says he was tortured by chinese authorities for helping north korean defectors. he says he'll take the issue to the united nations if china doesn't seriously investigate his allegations. kim says chinese security officials detained him in march in dalian, northeastern china, while he was assisting defectors. he says he was beaten and given electric shocks until he was released in july. the south korean government asked china to investigate the accusations last week, but chinese officials have denied using torture. >> translator: we'll bring this case to the international community if china doesn't take positive action. >> kim says he suspects north korea has asked chinese

authorities to crack down on activists. he says the north's new leadership is concerned about instability. kim also says the north has increased its monitoring of residents and strengthened border security. the space probe called "curiosity" is now trying to live up to its name. it's exploring the surface of mars. trying to find evidence, something, anything once lived there. the rover landed on the planet after a 36-week journey from earth. nasa scientists hope it will help them answer questions about mars' past and about humankind's possible future there. nhk world reports from pasadena, california. >> reporter: nasa scientists spent years preparing for this moment and tense days tracking "curiosity's" approach to mars then they heard the words they'd been waiting for. >> touchdown confirmed. >> reporter: the cheering

continued, even as the six-wheeled spacecraft started beaming back its first images using one of its cameras. the black and white pictures showed the rover's shadow cast on the surface of mars. the u.s. space agency launched "curiosity" last november. it's the largest ever mars probe. the rover is about the size of a small car and weighs nearly 1 ton. "curiosity" clocked 570 million kilometers on its journey to the red planet, but getting there was the easy part. the landing was the worry. nasa engineers built the decent through mars' atmosphere as seven minutes of terror. "curiosity" needed to slow down almost to a stop from about 20,000 kilometers an hour.

it deployed a parachute and used the reverse thrust of its rocket engines to do that. now "curiosity" is exploring the planet. the surface temperature could be lower than minus 100 degrees celsius. the air is extremely thin, but scientists believe mars had much milder weather 4 billion years ago. they say the presence of clay minerals suggest the planet once hosted warm, wet conditions. "curiosity" will search for signs life once existed there. this lab on wheels is packed with sophisticated instruments and is designed to carry out on the spot analysis of rocks and sand. the mars probe will scour the

planet's surface for years for theories that date back decades. nasa scientists are also focused on the future. as one of them put it, the wheels of "curiosity" have begun to blaze the trail for human footprints to mars. alex kirst, nhk world, pasadena, california. now let's take a look at the market figures.

these photographs show what life was like in a small town in miyagi prefecture before last year's tsunami. if it weren't for the pictures, former residents would hardly have anything to rekindle memories of happier times. so the owner of a local photo shop decided to publish them all in a book too see. >> reporter: thousands of former residents are receiving this book. >> translator: this is before the disaster. now it's all gone. unbelievable. >> reporter: the pictures r reawaken memories of the hometown. tomahiro sasaki is the man behind the lens, but the tsunami

washed his photo studio away. however, his father has a hard disk that held the photos. he and a non-profit organization published the images in this book. >> translator: i want people to say, this is what our town looked like and then we'll make a new town just as wonderful. >> reporter: the photos of cherry trees are on the riverbank unlock special feelings for this woman. shiba used to live very close to these trees. every year, she and her husband enjoyed strolling among the cherry blossoms, but she lost him to an illness six months before the disaster. then during the disaster last march, she lost the cherry trees, too.

>> translator: i feel sad and frustrated. i was so confused. >> reporter: this picture brings back happy memories. >> translator: i can't let the disaster depress me. i want to move on. remembering the good things that happened in my life. >> reporter: these pictures before the disaster hold the key for a brighter future. yoshiji and his wife, eko, now spend their days in temporary housing. yoshiji was a fisherman for 35 years. the sea was his life, but after the tsunami, he hasn't gone near the ocean. >> translator: when someone mentions the tsunami, tears well up right away.

this never used to happen. i can't control my feelings. >> reporter: yoshiji never stepped foot outside his temporary home. until the couple received the book. they saw pictures of their favorite spots by the sea. >> translator: i miss this place. we used to walk there every day. what a wonderful gift. >> reporter: then it happened. yoshiji asked eko to go for a walk. their first since the disaster. together, walking, just like they did before the tsunami. >> translator: i feel brighter. i think i shouldn't go on like this. i really have to pull myself together. >> reporter: the photos helped

them leave the trauma behind and begin the next phase of their lives. yosuke kojima, nhk world,. last year's earthquake and tsunami tested the skills of this country's rescue teams but it also challenged relief crews from india. their operation in japan's northeast was their first on foreign soil. now some of the people that helped have joined in to express their gratitude. kaho izuhiitani has the story. >> reporter: as part of the celebrations, the indian embassy in tokyo hosted an event to spotlight last year's relief work. the indian government sent 46 people to help the rescue effort in onagawa city, miyagi prefecture. 10% of the city's population was

lost in the disaster. the team's four interpreters documented the relief effort. on monday, they showed photos of the group at work. they said the team pulled seven bodies from the rubble with their bare hands. offering a moment of silence in front of each body. >> it was not that they didn't have the machinery. the idea was to show respect. >> reporter: the immediate aftermath of the disaster was a desperate time for the residents of onigawa, but they organized the book of thank you messages for the team that helped them. the interpreters produced the translate copy of the book.

the mayor of onigawa also attended monday's event. he expressed gratitudes on behalf of the citizens. >> translator: we lost so much in the disaster, but we also forged priceless friendships and ties. these are invaluable to us, and they give us the strength to move on and look to the future. >> reporter: the mayor said the city has begun to rebuild itself. he expressed optimism that the local fishing industry would resume. and he promised to keep the indian people informed of onigawa's progress. nhk world, tokyo. all right. rachel ferguson joins us now with the world weather forecast. rachel, we've been following a

storm near okinawa. it's bringing heavy rain and strong winds to residents there. what's the situation for today? >> well, i'm afraid it hasn't changed much since yesterday. we still have here a severe tropical storm, and it is pretty much in the same place as it was yesterday. that is not good news. it means that that heavy rain has been coming over pretty much the same place for the last 24 hours or so, so it's still sitting here in the east china sea bringing heavy rain down across okinawa. some of the southern japanese islands have experienced more than 430 millimeters of rain in the last 24 hours. we're going to be adding to those totals as well. although the system is not moving very quickly, it is strengthening gradually. we're expecting it to become a strong typhoon before making landfall. that should be either wednesday morning into afternoon local time. so in about the next 24 hours. you could see some very short-time heavy rain, about 50 millimeters of rain an hour possible in parts of the

southern japanese islands. waves could reach up to about 6 meters here as well. you could be feeling the storm surge along the eastern coast of china. taiwan picking up strong gale-force winds and 25 to 35 millimeters of rain. you'll remember after northern and southern parts of taiwan got battered by a typhoon last week, it's going to be very unwelcome rain, although it's not going to be quite as heavy as all this we're seeing right here pushing in toward the shanghai region over the next 48 hours. okay. parts of japan starting to clear out now. as a low-pressure system pulls away. yesterday we're seeing very strong thunderstorms and heavy rain. should be a bit more settled today. then down toward the south, we have this low just sitting in the south china sea, and it's really pulling in a lot of heavy rain across indochina. helping to enhance that southwest monsoon. so we could see totals coming up above 150 millimeterses in the space of the next 48 hours.

parts of northern vietnam, laos, as well as southern china going to be seeing a high risk of flooding and landslides as well today. all right. temperatures, then. 36 degrees in chongqing. heating up in seoul as well. another 35-degree day. 33 in tokyo. and down toward the south, we have 35 in bangkok, and 27 in manila with a few thundershowers moving through. all right. let's go now to our other tropical system. this one is ernesto. it's heading through the western caribbean. you can see now the tropical storm warnings along the northern coast of honduras. then we run into a hurricane warning for the yucatan peninsula. so this system is likely to make landfall in the yucatan peninsula tuesday morning, early, and that will be local time. after making landfall, you're going to see it downgrade to a tropical storm again, but then over the gulf, it could become a hurricane once again before making a second landfall in southeastern mexico here. so we're talking about some very strong winds. gusts now up to about 120 kilometers an hour. remember, this is an

intensifying system, and we are going to be seeing for much of eastern and central america upwards of 100millimeters, maybe up to 200, and, in fact, locally, you could see 300 millimeters of rain from this system. let's head back up to the bigger picture. not too much in the way of rainfall across the u.s. and canada today. there is going to be some monsoonal moisture coming across new mexico, again, that could lead to problems with flash flooding. we're drying out toward the northeast of the u.s. unfortunately, though, storms are going to continue through eastern canada and down here toward the southeast. all right. let's get your temperatures then. another roasting hot day in the south. oklahoma city, 39 for you. 36 in houston. and one quick look at your olympic weather, then. unfortunately, showers today. not much sunshine right through till thursday, but the temperature will be coming up to a very old grand 24 degrees. here's your extended forecast.

and that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for joining us.